The University of Central Asia is pleased to announce an upcoming Public Lecture on "Artificial Futures: Intelligent Robots in Science and Society," by Prof. Dr. Alan Winfield (Professor of Robot Ethics, University of the west of England, Visiting Professor, University of York, and Associate Fellow, Cambridge Centre for the Future of Intelligence).

It will be held on November 19th at 4:00-5:00 pm (GMT+6) through video conferencing (https://zoom.us/j/848200791), and at University of Central Asia locations in Bishkek, Naryn (Kyrgyzstan), Khorog, Dushanbe (Tajikistan) and Tekeli (Kazakhstan).

 Abstract
The Bristol Robotics Laboratory (BRL) is a joint research lab of the University of Bristol and the University of the West of England (UWE), and with more than 300 faculty and research staff it is one of the largest research labs dedicated to robotics and autonomous systems in the UK. The work of the BRL covers a wide range of work, with 20 research themes covering work from assisted living to robot vision, bio-energy to soft robotics. Broadly the lab covers three areas: bio-inspired robotics, human-robot interaction and cognitive robotics. However, strong unifying strands are those of intelligent autonomy and robot safety and dependability. The lab's work is highly multi-disciplinary and collaborative, with strong crossover between engineering and the life sciences.

Intelligent Robots are becoming ubiquitous: we are used to the idea of robots exploring Mars and, closer to home, we now have robot vacuum cleaners, robot pets and robot Lego. But these robots are very different to the fantasy robots we see in the movies. In this talk Prof. Dr. Alan Winfield will present the amazing reality of intelligent robots, illustrated with real examples from current research in the Bristol Robotics Laboratory, and wonder about the future possibilities for intelligent robots in science and society.

 Biography
Prof. Dr. Alan Winfield is Professor of Robot Ethics at the University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol, UK, Visiting Professor at the University of York, and Associate Fellow of the Cambridge Centre for the Future of Intelligence. He received his PhD in Digital Communications from the University of Hull in 1984, then co-founded and led APD Communications Ltd until taking-up appointment at UWE, Bristol in 1992. Winfield co-founded the Bristol Robotics Laboratory where his current research is focused on the science, engineering and ethics of cognitive robotics.

Winfield is passionate about communicating research and ideas in science, engineering and technology; he led UK-wide public engagement project Walking with Robots, awarded the 2010 Royal Academy of Engineering Rooke medal for public promotion of engineering. Until recently he was director of UWE’s Science Communication Unit. Winfield is frequently called upon by the press and media to comment on developments in AI and robotics; he was a guest on the BBC R4 series The Life Scientific and interviewed for BBC News HARDtalk.

Winfield is an advocate for robot ethics; he sits on the executive of the IEEE Standards Association Global Initiative on Ethics of Autonomous and Intelligent Systems, and chairs Working Group P7001, drafting a new IEEE standard on Transparency of Autonomous Systems. He has recently been appointed a member of the World Economic Forum Global AI Council. Winfield has published over 240 works, including Robotics: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press, 2012); he lectures widely on robotics, presenting to both academic and public audiences, and blogs at http://alanwinfield.blogspot.com.

 Location
The lecture will be available through online video conferencing via Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/848200791, and at the University of Central Asia locations:

KYRGYZSTAN
- Administration Office: 138 Toktogul, Bishkek, 2nd Floor Seminar Room
- UCA Naryn Campus, 310 Lenin Street, 2nd Floor Board Room
- SPCE Naryn: 19 Seitaaly Jakypov Street, Naryn, 1st Floor Library

TAJIKISTAN
- UCA Khorog Campus, 155 Qimatsho Imatshoev, 2nd Floor Board Room
- SPCE Khorog: 126 Lenin Street, Khorog, 1st Floor Library
- SPCE Dushanbe 47A Druzhba Narodov Avenue, 3rd Floor classroom number 310

KAZAKHSTAN
- SPCE Tekeli: 13 Gagarin Street, Tekeli, 2nd Floor Conference Room

Language
The lecture will be delivered in English.

Registration
Please confirm your participation by sending an e-mail to Ulanbek Sadybakasov: [email protected].

Ideas presented in this lecture reflect the personal opinion of the speaker and do not necessarily represent the views of the University of Central Asia and/or its employees.